The present disclosure relates generally to medical technology and in some aspects to methods and systems for combining orthopedic components. As further background, mating taper connections can be used for temporarily securing one item to another. One such taper connection is a Morse taper connection. Generally, a Morse taper is defined as a taper connection having a taper surface making an angle of about 2 to 12 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the component. Morse taper connections can be made between interpenetrating parts, with, e.g., a first of the parts having a tapered bore, and a second of the parts having a frustoconical shape for securement in the tapered bore of the first part. The tapered bore and the frustoconical shape can have slightly different sizes or taper angles to facilitate securement of the parts via the mating taper connection. To assemble mating taper connections, including Morse taper connections, items having a mating taper structure are interference fit one to the other to cause cointegration or locking of the items. In some cases the cointegration results in material transfer across the zone of contact, i.e., cold welds.
Mating taper connections are used in a vast number of orthopedic devices. For example, modular femoral implants can utilize a Morse taper to secure the proximal body to the distal stem and/or to secure a neck component to a head component. One exemplary modular femoral implant is the modular femoral implant utilized in the ZMR® Hip System produced by Zimmer, Inc. of Warsaw, Ind. In modular femoral implants, the distal stem can include a frustoconical proximal end comprising the male portion of the locking taper, with the longitudinal bore of the proximal body including a mating female taper formed in the distal portion of the longitudinal bore of the proximal body.